Upcoming events at the Paul Smith's College VIC

PAUL SMITHS, NY (07/29/2014)(readMedia)-- Wednesday, July 30; Monday, Aug. 4; Wednesday, Aug. 6; Monday, Aug. 11; Wednesday, Aug. 13; Monday, Aug. 18; Wednesday, Aug. 20; Monday, Aug. 25; Wednesday, Aug. 27 – Yoga on the Deck

Get out of the studio and into nature from 9-10:15 a.m. each Monday and Wednesday. Enhance your practice by experiencing a world of new sensations and become part of a boundless yoga experience. This class is open to all abilities. $15/class or prepay for up to six classes at a rate of $13 each, seven to 13 classes for $12 each or 14 to 20 classes for $10 each. For information and updates, email Jackie Foster at jackieyoga@roadrunner.com, call 518-339-3008 or visit adirondackjackieyoga.com.

Friday, Aug. 1 – Shakespeare in the Park – "As you Like it"

Don't miss Shakespeare's most beloved comedy about flirtation, friendship and mistaken identity. This 60-minute adaptation takes a lighthearted look at the fickle and passionate nature of love. Will wit and merriment overcome jealousy and deception? How will true love ever find its way, lost in the delightful madness of the forest? Rosalind, her cousin Celia, and her clown, Touchstone, encounter a number of colorful, backwoods characters in a tale of mistaken identities and romance ... or something like it. The performance begins at 7 p.m., outdoors if the weather permits, in the auditorium if not. Free.

Saturday, Aug. 2 – Quilt Workshop

Join us at this workshop from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and learn how to do free-motion quilting on your home sewing machine. Each student will complete a sampler that showcases his or her stitching techniques, as well as a few smaller projects (kit provided). You must be able to drop or cover the feed dogs in your sewing machine, and you need a free-motion quilting foot (darning foot). $25/person. Preregistration required by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1. Call: 518-327-6241.

Saturday, Aug. 2; Tuesday, Aug. 5; Saturday, Aug. 9; Tuesday, Aug. 12; Saturday, Aug. 16; Tuesday, Aug. 19; Saturday, Aug. 23; Tuesday, Aug. 26; and Saturday, Aug. 30 – Interpretive canoe paddle

Explore a variety of aquatic habitats at the VIC from 10 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and Saturdays until Labor Day. Participants view Heron Marsh and Barnum Brook and paddle through a bog to Barnum Pond. $15/person for Friends of the VIC, $20 for nonmembers. Inquire about our family discounts. Preregistration is required by 5 p.m. the previous day. We will offer trips at any time with prior arrangement.

Sunday, Aug. 3; Wednesday, Aug. 13; Sunday, Aug. 17; Wednesday, Aug. 27; and Sunday, Aug. 31 – Mushroom Walk

Join mushroom expert Susan Hopkins for a casual walk in the woods from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. as she searches for mushrooms and fungi. We will identify and discuss poisonous and edible species and learn about the medicinal value, too. This walk will take at least two hours and will be held rain or shine. Bring a lunch if you want to stay longer to use Hopkins' books and reference materials. $20/person, $15 for Friends of the VIC. Preregistration required by 5 p.m. the day before. Call 518-327-6241. Other dates: Wednesday, Aug. 13; Sunday, Aug. 17; Wednesday, Aug. 27; and Sunday, Aug. 31.

Saturdays, Aug. 9 & 23 – Teddy Roosevelt Bird Walk

Join Adirondack Birding Center Director Brian McAllister from 9-11 a.m. as he searches for summer birds. Observe as they set up nesting territory, sing and show off their mating display. $20/person, $15 for Friends of the VIC, free for Warblers. Preregistration required by 5 p.m. the day before.

Wednesdays, Aug. 13; Sept. 10 & 24; and Oct. 8 – 5K Fun Run

We'll keep you on your toes every other Wednesday through October for just $5. Registration's at 6 p.m. and the race starts at 6:30 p.m. On alternate Wednesdays to the VIC trail runs, High Peaks Cyclery offers fun trail runs at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Visit pscvic.org/run for more information. Other run dates at the VIC: Sept. 10 & 24; and October 8.

Thursday, Aug. 14 – Wild Edibles Walk

Identify wild edibles and learn about the historic medicinal uses for many of the plants common to the Adirondacks with "Truly Wild" instructor Pat Banker from Cornell Cooperative Extension Franklin County. 10 a.m.-noon. Walks will be informal and will happen rain or shine. $10/person for Friends of the VIC, $20 for nonmembers. Bring a lunch and join Banker for "wild everything recipe swapping" and peruse her collection of wild edible-plant ID books. Preregistration required by 5 p.m. the day before.

Tuesday-Wednesday, Aug. 19-20 – Plein Air Festival Workshop: Paint the Adirondacks

Internationally acclaimed artist and instructor Gayle Levée will host this workshop at the VIC. With an emphasis on color, brushwork and composition, Levée will teach you how to paint the mountains by emphasizing the way light plays on their forms. The cost of this two-day workshop is $200 with a $50 deposit due two weeks in advance. To register, visit saranaclakeartworks.com/pleinair.

Thursday, Aug. 21 – Primitive Skills for Teens

Join us from 1-5 p.m. and learn to start a fire with flint and steel, make cordage out of natural materials, craft a walking stick and experience a bow-drill friction fire. This primitive-skills workshop is limited to 12 teenagers. $25/person, $20 for Friends of the VIC. Preregistration required by 5 p.m. the day before.

Friday, Aug. 22 – Plein Air Festival: Paint the VIC

Participants will spend the day painting the sights and scenes of the Paul Smith's College VIC, including miles of trails, mountains, old growth forest, bogs, streams, marshes, beaver lodges and Adirondack lean-tos. For more information, visit saranaclakeartworks.com/pleinair.

Saturday, Aug. 23 – Woodland Writers Workshop

Discover how essays and poems are used to express the relationship between landscapes and people. Noon-5 p.m. Exercises include detailed descriptions of natural objects, taking field notes that capture the sensory power of nature and trail-side readings of select essays and poems that exemplify the use of ecology to convey our relationship to the land. The workshop will take place entirely in the field and will conclude with a group reading and feedback. $25/person, 10 percent discount for Friends of the VIC. Limited to 12 people. Sponsored by the Adirondack Center for Working Landscapes.

Wednesday, Aug. 27 – 5K Trail Fun Run with NOLS

The National Outdoor Leadership School will partner with the VIC to celebrate its third successful season at the VIC. NOLS staff and local alums will run with the regular crowd. Fun and prizes furnished by NOLS. $5/person. Registration's at 6 p.m. The race starts at 6:30 p.m. On alternate Wednesdays to the VIC Trail Runs, High Peaks Cyclery offers fun trail runs at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Visit pscvic.org/run for more information. Other run dates at the VIC: September 10 & 24 and October 8.

Thursday, Aug. 28 – Butterfly Fun for Kids

Third-, fourth- and fifth-graders join us from 1-4 p.m. as we spend time in the butterfly house before summer winds down. We'll play games, talk about the beautiful colors, complete a craft project and more. Limited to 12 children. $25/person, $20 for Friends of the VIC. Preregistration required by 5 p.m. the day before.

Thursday, Aug. 28 – Volunteer Potluck Barbecue

VIC volunteers are welcome to this potluck. Bring a dish to pass. We will meet for hors d'oeuvres at 5:30 p.m. Dinner's at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 30 – Butterfly Tea

Join butterfly-house staff and the Monarch Friends of the VIC from 2-4 p.m. for an open house and end-of-the-season monarch send off. We will feature a presentation on butterfly migration, collect milkweed seeds to send to Project Monarch Watch and release some monarchs on their way to Mexico. Refreshments will be served. Reservations appreciated.

Sunday, Aug. 31 – Volunteer Training: Late Summer Wildflowers

Come learn what's blooming around the VIC in the waning weeks of August. 9 a.m.-noon. We'll look at goldenrod, asters and other flowers in the composite family.

Saturday, Sept. 27 – Homesteading Festival

This celebration of rural skills will showcase the talents of a bygone era with a distinctly Adirondack flair. Workshops will appeal to a wide range of interests and include topics such as local and seasonal cooking, cider making, cheese making, pack basket construction, renewable energy, fall gardening, heating with firewood and primitive skills.

Daily – Interpretive Nature Walk

Join one of our interpretive naturalist and explore the flora, fauna and ecology of the Adirondack Park everyday from 1-2 p.m. Free for Friends of the VIC, $10 for nonmembers. Walks available until Labor Day.

Daily – New Moon Art Show: Plein Air

In celebration of the sixth Adirondack Plein Air Festival, held in Saranac Lake from Aug. 21-24, the VIC will feature Plein Air artwork as part of the new moon art show.

ABOUT PAUL SMITH'S COLLEGE

At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. Paul Smith's, which was founded in 1946, is the only bachelor's degree-granting institution of higher education in the Adirondacks. Our programs – in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences – draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. For more information: www.paulsmiths.edu.